Tear Jerker / American Beauty

• Jane admitting that she wishes Lester cared about her as much as Angela. Think about the implications of that statement.
  • And the sad thing is, he does care. He attempted to make conversation at dinner, only to be shut down with "you can't expect to be my best friend just because you had a bad day". But he bluntly says to Carolyn that Jane hates him, meaning he's grown so fatigued of trying to reach out to her thinking she hates him, while she has such low self-esteem that she can't imagine anyone loving her.
• Lester's death is obviously coming, but the final monologue makes it this. What's especially sad about it is that he dies just after he overcame his lust and became a better person.
• Ricky saying goodbye to his mother before leaving home.
• Barbara's whole family just abandoning her is perhaps the saddest part of the entire film.
• Lester almost managing to get through to Carolyn by reminding her of their younger, happier days together, only for her to be distracted by trivial materialism and start fighting him again.
  Lester Burnham: I'm only trying to help you!
• It's pretty sad that, despite how close they used to be, Lester's last words to Jane are, "You'd better be careful Jane, or you'll end up a real bitch, just like your mother!" His expression after she leaves implies he feels bad about what he said, but he never gets to apologise.
• The flashbacks to when the Burnhams were a lot happier.
• The funny scene where the vain and image-conscious Carolyn gives herself a pep talk ("I will sell this house to-day!") while preparing for an open house becomes a lot less funny at the end of the day, when she cries alone, berates herself, and slaps her own face. Her self-esteem is bound to her professional success or lack thereof, and this modest failure crushes her into becoming her own abuser.
• Ricky tells Angela that she's ugly, boring and ordinary, and she runs out of the room and is found crying by Lester
• The makeout scene between Lester and Angela is already framed very eerily but it takes a hard left turn with the Wham Line "this is my first time". Lester then realises what exactly he'd been about to do, and Angela looks especially vulnerable. It's hammered home that this apparent Fille Fatale is ultimately just a child trying to imitate a grown-up.
  • Angela also bursts into tears when Lester pulls away, saying "I feel so stupid". While it's definitely the right call on his part, this is after she's just been called ugly and boring by Ricky, so now even the pervy older man who was lusting after her has rejected her. That's got to sting in the moment.
• The last we see of Carolyn, she's breaking down in Lester's closet, surrounded by his clothes. Despite their issues, it's clear they were once in love, and she can't believe he's dead now.
• Jane may have hated her father, but she says a scared "oh my God" when she finds his body.

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